Bathtub support



F. H. SCHUCK BATHTUB SUPPORT Feb. 8, 1966 Filed Sept. l1, 1964 'INVENTORn64/VK /f sc/yacue,

United States Patent O 3,233,857 BATHTUB SUPPORT Frank H. Schuck, 722Alice St., Novato, Calif.

Fiied Sept. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 395,810 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-300) Thisinvention relates to the general field of support devices and, morespecifically, the instant invention pertains to a bracket support forbathtubs.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a bathtubsupporting bracket which may be formed of a metal stamping.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bathtub suport bracketwhich may be easily connected with building studs for adjustment thereonto insure the proper leveling of the bathtub, whereby the drainagethereof is assured.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bathtub supportbracket with means operable to prevent the vertical shifting thereof ona building stud member after installation.

This invention contemplates, as a still further object thereof, theprovision of a bathtub `support bracket which is non-complex inconstruction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, andwhich is durable 1n use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the instant invention willIbecome more evident from a consideration of the following specificationwhen read in conjunction with the annexed drawing in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective View of a bathtub support bracket constructedin accordance with tihis invention and illustrating the appplicationthereof in the support of a bathtub;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the bathtub supportbracket shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the bathtub support bracket;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevational view of the bathtub support bracket; and

FIGURE 5 is a top plan View of the metal blank from which the supportbracket is formed.

Before explaining in detail the apparatus involved in the instantinvention, it will be understood that tihe invention is not to belimited in this application to the details of construction and in thearrangement of parts i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawing, since itrecognized that the invention is capable of other embodiments and isalso adaptable for practice in various ways. Further, it is to beunderstood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is forthe purpose of description only, and is not one of limitation.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, reference numeraldesignates, in general, a bathtub support bracket constructed inaccordance with the teachings of this invention. The bathtub supportbracket 1t) may be formed of any suitable sheet metal and is seen tocomprise a central body portion or front plate 12 having a substantiallyrectangular configuration and which is vertically elongated. From eachlongitudinally-extending, laterally-spaced marginal edge of the frontplate 12 upwardly extend, respectively, a pair of sidewalls 14, 16having a substantially nhomboidal configuration. Each of the sidewalls14, 16 terminates in a pair of substantially rectangular flanges 18, 20and 22, 24, respectively, with each pair of flanges being bent laterallyand inwardly toward one another to lie substantially in a common plane.As is seen in tihe drawing, the sidewalls 14, 16 and the flanges 18, 20,22 and 24 are all provided with nail or screw-receiving openings 26 forvthe reception of nails or screws 2S.

extending studs 46 (only one being shown).

3,233,857 Patented Feb. 8, 1966 Fice From the upper end of the frontplate 12, and at substantially right angles thereto, forwardly projectsa substantially rectangular weight-bearing platform 3i). VFrom the outerend of the platform 30 and integral therewith downwardly-depends asubstantially rectangular strut 32, the angle of inclination between thestrut 32 and the platform 30 being substantially 45. As is seen in thedrawing, the lower end of the strut 32 `terminates in a.downwardly-extending, substantially rectangular lip 34 which is infaoe-to-face contact with the plate 12 to which it is spot welded as at36.

Reference numeral 38 designates a conventional joist for a building oredifice (not shown) to which is fxedly connected, in the usual manner, aplurality of vertically- Two or more bathtub support brackets 10 areengaged around, respectively, two or more of the studs k40 and are heldthereon by the nails or screws 28 with the weight-bearing flanges 3i)thereof facing toward a conventional bathtub 42 having alongitudinally-extending, outwardly-extending lange 44 beneath which theweight-bearing platform of the support brackets 10 engage.

The bracket 10 tits snugly around the stud 40 and the to the weightplaced on the weight-bearing platforms 39, the lower edge 46 of thefront plate 12 tends to pivot inwardly toward the adjacent edge 48 ofthe stud 40 and to become wedged therein to prevent downward shifting ofthe bracket 1).

The brackets 10 may be easily installed on the studs 46 through thesimple expedient of exing the sidewalls 14, 16 away from one another asufficient distance to permit the free edges of the flanges 18, 20 and22, 24 to clear the opposed sides of the `stud 40 after which thesidewalls 14, 16 are released to snap against the sides of the stud 40.

The brackets 1t) may be, optionally, finished with the flanges 18, 26and 22, 24 bent in the manner described above, or if desired, they mayextend in the same plane as their associated sidewalls 14 and 16,respectively. The latter case provides the mechanic with a littlegreater degree of exibility in the hanging of the bracket 10 since, inthis case, the sidewalls 14, 16 and the front plate 12 may be engaged onthe stud 40 proximate their installed positions after which the flanges1S, 22 may be bent over and loosely secured to the studs by the bolts28. Final positioning of the bracket 10 is then performed after whichthe franges 20, 24 may be bent over the stud 40 and secured in place.The sidewalls 14, 16 may then also be anchored in place. It will beunderstood, of course, that .the above steps may be varied in sequenceto the liking of the artisan.

The bathtub support bracket 1i) may be formed from a blank of sheetmetal50 indicated in FIGURE 5. The blank 50 may be stamped in in a singleoperation to provide the front plate 12, the sidewalls 14, 16, theflanges 18, 20, 22, 24, the weight-bearing flange 30, its associatedstrut 32, and the lip 34. In the stamping operation, the anges 18, 20and 22, 24 are, respectively, separated from one another by theseverance lines 52, 54.

After the blank 50 has been formed, the same is folded on the fold lines56, 58 and 60, 62 to define the front plate 12, the sidewalls 14, 16,and the anges 18, 20 and 22, 24, and thereafter, may be bent on thelines 64, 66 to define the .platform 30, strut 32, and lip 34.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention indetail, it will be understood that the same is offered merely by way ofexample, and that this invention is to be limited only by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A support bracket comprising a normally verticallyextending elongatedsubstantially rectangular front plate, a pair of rhomboidal sidewallseach having a pair of opposed ends, one of the ends of each of saidsidewalls being xedly connected with said front plate at, respectively,a longitudinally-extending marginal edge thereof, said sidewallsprojecting laterally from said front plate and being disposedsubstantially parallel with respect to one another, the other ends ofeach of said sidewalls terminating in an inwardly-turned ilange with thefree ends of said anges being disposed in confronting relation relativeto one another, a substatially rectangular platform 'having one of itsends iXedly secured to one end of said front plate and its other endprojecting therefrom in a direction opposite to said sidewalls, and asubstantially rectangular strut having one of its ends xedly secured tosaid other end of said platform, and the other end of said strutextend-ing toward and engaging said front plate, and means xedlysecuring said other end of said strut to said front plate.

2. A support bracket comprising a normally verticallyextending elongatedsubstantially rectangular front plate, a pair of rhomoidal sidewallseach having a pair of opposed ends, one of the ends of each of saidsidewalls being xedly connected with said front plate at, respectively,a longitudinally-extending marginal edge thereof, said sidewallsprojecting laterally from said front plate and being disposedsubstantially parallel with respect to one another, the other ends ofeach of said sidewalls terminating in an inwardly-turned flange With thefree ends of said flanges being disposedrin confronting relationrelative to one another, a substantially rectangular platform having oneof its ends fixedly secured to one end of said front plate and its otherend projecting therefrom in a direction opposite to said sidewalls, anda substantially rectangular strut having one of its ends xedly securedto said other end of said platform, the other end of said strutextending toward said front plate, said other end of said strutterminating in an oflset substantially rectangularY lip disposed inface-to-face engagement With said front plate, .and means fxedlyconnecting said lip to said front plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,458,666 6/ 1923Stoppello 304--40 1,757,321 5/ 1930 `MacDonald 248-235 X `1,938,81812/1933 Erickson et al 4-173 2,884,670 5/1959 Garrison et al. 20-923,148,857 9/ 1964 Hutchison 248-247 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner.

1. A SUPPORT BRACKET COMPRISING A NORMALLY VERTICALLYEXTENDING ELONGATEDSUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR FRONT PLATE, A PAIR OF RHOMBOIDAL SIDEWALLSEACH HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED ENDS, ONE OF THE ENDS OF EACH OF SAIDSIDEWALLS BEING FIXEDLY CONNECTED WITH SAID FRONT PLATE AT RESPECTIVELY,A LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING MARGINAL EDGE THEREOF, SAID SIDEWALLSPROJECTING LATERALLY FROM SAID FRONT PLATE AND BEING DISPOSEDSUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER, THE OTHER ENDS OFEACH OF SAID SIDEWALLS TERMINATING IN AN INWARDLY-TURNED FLANGE WITH THEFREE ENDS OF SAID FLANGES BEING DISPOSED IN CONFRONTING RELATIONRELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR PLATFORM HAVING ONEOF ITS ENDS FIXEDLY SECURED TO ONE END OF SAID FRONT PLATE AND ITS OTHEREND PROJECTING THEREFROM IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID SIDEWALLS, ANDA SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR STRUT HAVING ONE OF ITS END FIXEDLY SECUREDTO SAID OTHER END OF SAID PLATFORM, AND THE OTHER END OF SAID STRUTEXTENDING TOWARD AND ENGAGING SAID FRONT PLATE, AND MEANS FIXEDLYSECURING SAID OTHER END OF SAID STRUT TO SAID FRONT PLAT.